


I really think someone set this one up

by Illidria



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: F/M, LLF Comment Project, Modern AU, silly fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-07
Updated: 2018-03-07
Packaged: 2019-03-28 07:55:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13899669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Illidria/pseuds/Illidria
Summary: Heard her cut the line with a press of a button, watched her turn around and was immediately seized up by a pair of fierce eyes."Miles!""Armstrong."Nodded a greeting, though he was pretty sure that he'd meet his maker in no time."How long have you been here?!"





	I really think someone set this one up

**Author's Note:**

> And here is another wish-fic that took me way too long :D

"You're not serious Amue?! What am I supposed to do now?"

She'd probably not noticed him when she rushed onto the balcony, taking a call on her mobile phone. The conversation she was having, though he could only judge her side of it, quickly turning from a bit worried to exasperated. Was leaning on the handrail, shivering in the cold night-air of North City and berating the person on the other end of the line.

Miles tried to blend into the wall in the meanwhile.

"Well, _thank you_ too, because that doesn't help me at all! We'll talk when I'm back in Central!"

Heard her cut the line with a press of a button, watched her turn around and was immediately seized up by a pair of fierce eyes.

"Miles!"

"Armstrong."

Nodded a greeting, though he was pretty sure that he'd meet his maker in no time.

"How long have you been here?!"

The irritation was still written all over her face, forehead crinkling, and nose drawn. But she was giving him the benefit of the doubt and he fully intended to use it.

"Half an hour maybe. I was already here when you came out, though I'm sorry for not going inside when I noticed that you were having a private phone call."

Looked on in amazement, when she breathed deeply at that. Leaning back against the handrail, her face becoming more relaxed, her tone changing to one almost apoplectic.

"No problem Miles, really. Too warm inside for you?"

Shook his head, trying to take her sudden ease in stride.

"Just too loud. Who'd have known that Akeem's brother gets like that when drunk?"

Of all things possible she chuckled, and Miles wondered for a moment how fate sometimes twisted ends together.

He'd been at Central University for two terms, sitting down in a class one morning, her next to him. They got along well, both taking their studies serious, though also ready for a party or two. Often went to get coffee or visit the library together. And the more he'd gotten to know Olivier Armstrong, the more his heart clenched when around her. She wasn't just a beauty to behold, but she was also funny and serious at the same time, with a clear outlook and steadfast opinions. He'd only noticed that he'd fallen for her when it had already been too late though, when his crush had evolved into something he could not so easily resurface from.

And when his terms in Central came to an end, his move back to North City imminent, he'd went to one last party with her. The night having ended in a kiss, though he'd not wanted anything more, had not wanted to maybe be a one-time thing. She'd not been angry either at that, but their near-constant texting, their mails and pictures send around, soon became less and less.

"I only remembered him as the brooding and silent type, but I guess people change."

Her smile only slight, yet still able to make his heart beat out of his chest.

"How's life treated you?"

She leaned more heavily against the handrail, mobile finding its place in her pant-pocket.

Noticed that she still carried on her habit of wearing jeans made for men, the button telling him that silently, the cut, wondering if she'd nicked that one from a boyfriend. Sure that she’d not bought it at least.

"Pretty okay I'd say. I'm working on my master now, finished two of my minors already, too. Though I'll probably change University for the last year. I’m thinking of changing here actually."

His _"Why?"_ easy, delivered with what he hoped to be a charming smile.

"One of the Profs is mad at me, after I maybe declared a few of his own paintings as shit at a vernissage."

Laughed slightly at that, couldn't keep himself from it. Reached up to right his usual glasses, only remembering then that it was late and dark, that he'd taken them off already.

Talked on without a hitch though, keeping a conversation going so easy with her.

"You fear retaliation?"

She nodded.

"Am already getting it, actually. Took it up to the dean even, but as art is subjective..."

She shrugged, full lips curling into a smile.

"And how's life treating you? Still using these thrice-damned googles of yours?"

He leaned against the wall again, from inside coming a sound not unlike glass breaking, followed by a cheer.

"You know that the snow could turn me blind, don't you?"

"There was no snow in Central! Have people been giving you grief for..."

"No, nobody dares to since you beat that one guy up. But I feel comfortable with them, so let me."

Armstrong huffing opposite of him, though letting him continue.

"And I'm doing fine, thank you. One more year too, than I got my master’s in history. Need to finish up drachman speech though."

Laughed at his own laziness, which turned her stern face to a smile.

"Slow-paced it?"

He nodded.

"Yes. Never was in the mood to learn the finer points of the grammar."

"How could one be, when all the people here speak it so simplified?"

His tone now disbelieving, the snort caught only milliseconds before tumbling out.

"Says the one person that could speak it perfectly in no time!"

She raised her hands in defeat.

"Okay, yes, you caught me. But you managed ishvalan in only a few months!"

Her accusing finger making him smile, warmth exploding at the exact place she was pointing.

"Because I grew up with it! Bolstered up my resume and such!"

Both laughing at that, freely, while the music in the room the balcony belonged to was turned up another notch. He moved to lean on the balcony, looking out over the snowy city, though the cold had not yet reached him. Felt her turn next to him, her arm brushing his.

Their talk easier now, his desire to go back inside when first confronted with her, to flee when seeing her after arrival, having vanished.

"You were invited by Akeem?"

Felt her move against him, the soft skin of her underarms brushing his. He wondered in the back of his mind if she minded the hair on his. If she maybe was cold.

"Yeah, met him during a field trip some time ago. We're mailing fairly regularly and when he heard that I'd be in the North, he invited me over."

"You expected such a party?"

She chuckled.

"Well, that Akeem is a party-animal I knew, but his little brother?! Did I miss something?"

He laughed.

"Not as far as I know, always struck me as a solemn guy. But hey, alcohol makes people do things."

Did only notice how these words could be taken when they'd left his mouth already, when Armstrong turned silent. Fumbled with words immediately, scared that he'd just cut their reconnection short.

"I'm sorry Olivier, I..."

Did barely notice that he'd evaporated the distance provided by her surname, though was silenced, voice and thought, by her hand on his arm.

"I'm sorry Javed. I've been too brash back then, should've talked with you about it all first. But you were going to travel back and...," sighed, in a way that had his heart ache. "...I don't know, I just didn't want to let you go without at least doing _something_."

He shook his head, though could not tear his eyes away from her hand on his arm, the contrast of their skin, the goosebumps rising on hers.

"No Olivier, I'm sorry. I just... I never could tell you how I feel and now we let it all be silenced for over a year and you have a boyfriend and...."

Talked over him, surprise in her voice.

"I have? Could you introduce us?!"

Stuttered, not happy that he'd apparently found the next sandtrap.

"Well, your jeans are a men’s and I thought..."

Her eyes finding his, wide and blue and full of a mixture of sadness and happiness. A tad of mirth swimming in her icy pools, too.

"That I stole clothes again? Please, I wouldn't do that! And don't assume, or did your girlfriend pick out that shirt for you?"

Smirked, though his answer he almost whispered.

"Buccaneer did."

Their shared laughter at that somehow getting rid of most of the tension from before, her hand still dancing over his arm, her smile still there, still drawing him in.

Her sigh heavy when she spoke again, like the weight of the world was on her shoulders.

"And have things changed over the past year, Javed?"

"Things yes, or do you mean feelings?"

Was pinched at that, a snort escaping him.

"Don't be an ass! You know stuff like that's hard for me."

He knew that well, had understood that soon about her and vowed to not let himself be deterred by that. Making his past-self proud probably, with the words he uttered next.

"If you want to know if I still love you, then yes."

Their hands intertwining and silence stretching over them, the howling from inside the flat still loud.

And only after a few minutes Olivier snorted, chuckled and laughed, shaking her head. His interest was piqued.

"What is it?"

"It's just, when I saw you here, I thought that this evening would end only in heartache, and now..."

Looked into his eyes, smiling ever so slightly, his response not thought about.

Her lips soft against his, pliant, though much too cold. Their kiss prompting him to close his eyes, to shut out the world around them and to only revel in what they both seemed to have longed for. Resurfaced only when he was close to suffocating, their noses still touching, the mutual smile felt, not seen.

"And now it’s the good kind of heartache?"

Her answer drowned out by the cheering from inside, a blush creeping over his face. Her laughter quickly breaking the spell, together with a rude hand-gesture towards the glass of the balcony-door.

Both deciding to stay outside for a while longer, talked some more, until it was time to go. His smile accompanying his question, easy and charming, the others around them still sometimes exchanging money.

"Do you have a ride home?"

Suddenly, she seemed irritated again.

"No! That's what the phone-calls been about! My sister decided to stay another week at her friend’s place, stranding me here!"

His answer easier, the year of heartache feeling like a thing of the past and being that too.

"You know, I have a pull-out couch."

Did not miss her smirk at that.

* * *

Half-asleep he wandered through his flat, trying to find a pair of pants, just so to not embarrass the person ringing the doorbell at this god-forsaken hour.

After a bit of searching found one, took the parcel delivered, finding Olivier sitting upright on the couch, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Her voice still heavy.

"Why are you wearing my pants?"

He furrowed his brows.

"Your pants? There were my initials written in the waistband, these are...."

Realisation hitting him in tune with her smile.

"Thief!"

**Author's Note:**

> This story is part of [LLF Comment Project](https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/llfcommentproject), whose goal is to improve communication between readers and authors. I invite you to leave:
> 
> _Short comments_   
>  _Long comments_   
>  _Questions_   
>  _Constructive criticism_   
>  _Reader-reader interaction_
> 
> I reply to every comment, though it sometimes takes me a day, or two.
> 
> I thank you for reading this fic of mine through to the end. I appreciate all comments and kudos and should you want to get into direct contact with me [this is my tumblr](http://illidria.tumblr.com/)


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